The Arrowhead Villas Homeowners Association recently held a well-attended end of summer get together at the Tudor House. At the event, they celebrated the building of the first homes in the Arrowhead Villas area. These two homes were built prior to the area being purchased from the Flemming family and subdivided by the Atkins Realty Company in 1928.
The HOA board member sported special buttons – featuring the graphic of the Arrowhead Villas entry gates – so property owners could identify them and talk with them. The board members gave some updates on the various aspects of living in the area and on current repairs.
Giving a short talk on this history of the beginning of Arrowhead Villas was Rhea-Frances Tetley from the Rim of the World Historical Society. As one of the co-founders of the historical society, Tetley began by tracing the history of Arrowhead Villas back to the logging industry of the 1860s with William LaPraix, his mill and his nephew James Flemming, after whom Flemming Creek which runs through the area is named.
The property where Arrowhead Villas is located was purchased from the Flemming family, after much discussion and persuasion, by the Los Angeles-based Atkins Realty Company which was funded by financiers from Chicago. They developed 1,500 lots on those 160 acres, with a colorful story of creating and selling more lots than the other nearby mountain developments created and sold on similar acreage.
The elegant Club Arrowhead in the Pines clubhouse building, now known as the Tudor House, hired the “finest craftsmen,” who were brought to the mountain for this construction project. They were working with some of the finest woods using those dark wood details to create the arched roof, the special beveled windows, all to build the unique British-inspired 21,000-square-foot clubhouse with the 16-foot-wide, 70-ton rock fireplace, which was completed in 1928 at the cost of $2 to 3 million. This was in stark contrast to some of the other developments of the era, which used the “rustic mountain” look. The Hollywood stars loved the Arrowhead Villas and the Arrowhead in the Pines clubhouse.
Tetley only spoke of the history of the place up to 1929, as more will be shared when the anniversary of the opening club house itself is held in 2028.
The Arrowhead Villas Homeowners Association plans another big celebration in three years to celebrate the 100th anniversary of when the Atkins Realty Company began selling the properties and the Arrowhead in the Pines clubhouse opened.
Note: Historian Rhea-Frances Tetley contributed to this article.
0 Comments